Yellow/Red Pikeabou
Back in 1974 at a place called Brazeau Reservoirs in Alberta I was fly-fishing for pike and was having lots of luck for pike on a type of bunny bug.
The main problem I had was that the darn pike kept chewing the heck out of them, now I look back at this problem I can laugh about it as I was catching lots of fish. Over the year’s I continued to us these patterns with great success. In 1995, I was invited to come up to Watson Lake in the Yukon Territories to fly fish for Pike. It was during this trip I finally decided that there had to be something that would equally do the same job and not feel like I was casting my wet wool sock. I started to experiment with other materials. I had seen and heard of marabou but never thought it would hold up but liked the action of it, so one day decided to develop a fly using it and 6” neck hackles and the rest is history and Pikeabous became my most productive fly. I now only use four main patterns.
Pikeabous
Mega Egg sucking Black leech
Marabou minnow’s
Top water poppers
Tying instructions:
- Insert the brass tube into the hook holder and wrap with thread to secure it. Tie in 3 red neck hackles, with the curve to the outside.
- Tie in second set of hackles in; make sure they are the same length.
- Add flashabou down each side or just on top.
- Cement each stage.
- Start tying in your red marabou 3 clumps of it. Start with the one on top and then work your way around the hook. You should start at about the middle of the tube and work your way around it.
- Cement in place
- Start tying in the 3 clumps of marabou at the head. start at the top and work around.
- Whip finish. Do not cement yet as it discolours the unistretch thread.
- Wrap head in red Unistretch thread, whip finish.
- Coat head with Sally Hansoms hard as nails finish.
- Add your stick on eyes.
- When dry epoxy the head and rotate until dry.
Tube fly versions: Recipes for Tube Pikeabous
I have found that the pikeabous tied this way have held up far better than the old style bunny flies that I used to use. I have tied it in all sorts of colour combinations and so far, the Yellow & Red has been an exceptionally deadly combination.
I tie it in several sizes 4to6”, 6” to 8” on a Q-tips and brass tubes, I prefer the 3/32 brass tubing.
Yellow Head & Red Tail Pikeabou (tube version)
Materials
- Brass tube and I use I V plastic tubing for hook holder
- Thread Any heavy thread you wish I use Danville’s +
- 6” Red Neck hackles 3 per side (6 total) for the tail
- 4” Yellow blood marabou bloods, 3 for the base and 3 for the body.
Flashaboo any colour is fine I prefer the wide saltwater 3-D holographic when I can get it in silver, pearl etc but have not found the colours to be critical. Just as long as there is a bit of sparkle. One can also use the Christmas tinsel as it works well and pike are not fussy.
- Thread for Head is Unistretch in Chinese red
- 2mm stick on eyes colour does not seem to matter so use silver
- 5 min epoxy or soft body for the finish
Fishing Instructions: To fish them I have used them right on the top of the water and just skipped them or let them sink and retrieve them a short or long stripping action.